Landmark Classic Sales Tamworth Saturday 6th February

Yesterday we attended Landmark Classic sale and spent the day with Mark and Shelley Ruff who had donated 10% of the sale profits for an amazing horse called Bulla Ava. Ava sold for $25,000 which was amazing. 7 years ago I decided that I needed to help and support people who had medical incidents or accidents. I was selfish in that I needed to feel worthy and I also felt I was given a second and third chance and others just don't get another chance so I needed to feel that I was helping others and making a difference. This year Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation is 5 years old and the people we have helped the lives we have saved has been overwhelming over 50,000 people have been helped and supported. But what I did not think would happen would be the amazing building of this foundation many businesses are built on bricks, mortar, statistics and projected income. Friendly Faces Helping Hands Foundation is built on love, friendships, honesty, integrity and understanding. Our walls are the hands of friends we have found along the way and our foundations are strong and supportive and built to last. I started this to help others but it is me who has been helped most my life is so full of beautiful People who have become my friends and the walls of our Foundation. Many people have a few friends our foundation is so blessed to be a network of friends who volunteer work and support. Just this week we need to thank these amazing friends for all the support
Mark and Shelley Ruff
Anna Moulder and Kelly Fuller ABC radio
Jenny Dillion and Kylie Galbraith The Northern Daily Leader, Mark Barton Landmark, Anita Osbourne and Murry Wilton Royal Agriculture Show Sydney Royal Easter Show and Tim OBrien Australian Agriculture Show Society. Allana McIntire A Pollocrosse Affair. Thank you for the friendship we are strong and with your friendship we will keep fighting and help any more people. From our hearts Thank You...

Feb 4 Daily Liberal

A 73-YEAR-OLD sixth generation farmer from the Coonamble area yesterday became the latest person to block access to the construction site of Santos' Leewood CSG waste water facility in the Pilliga forest .

Neil Kennedy locked himself by the neck to the front gate of the construction site, and was joined this morning by around 30 local and regional supporters.

His actions came as protesters opposing a coal seam gas wastewater plant in the area declared they aren't giving up their cause any time soon.

"I don't think it's right that Santos can build this waste water treatment plant, with all the risks involved, while a court case is still underway to sort out whether its approval without a proper environmental assessment was lawful or not," Mr Kennedy said.

9 News 3 February 2016

Protesters opposing a coal seam gas wastewater plant in northern NSW aren't giving up their cause any time soon.

Around 30 anti-CSG demonstrators blocked access on Wednesday morning to the Santos Leewood Water treatment plant in the Pilliga forest south of Narrabri, which will support 850 CSG wells above the Great Artesian Basin.

Sixth-generation farmer Neil Kennedy from Coonamble has chained himself by the neck to the site's front gate, despite heavy rain turning the ground to mud.

"We're going to keep on protesting and doing what we can, fighting this thing," Mr Kennedy told AAP from a mobile phone.

The 73-year-old admitted he was "getting a bit old for this", but he doesn't want to see the land destroyed for future generations.

"I've got 13 grandchildren, and they're good little blokes and I'd like to think they've got a future out here," he said.

Read more at http://www.9news.com.au/national/2016/02/03/13/05/protesters-continue-to-block-nsw-csg-site#J3zK3rJ5EerCduql.99

By Marie Low Feb. 2, 2016, 2 p.m. Namoi Valley Independent

Boggabri’s butcher has been given an 11th hour reprieve by two locals concerned about the future of the town.

New Boggabri Meats manager Paul Higgins – who worked at the butcher’s under its previous ownership – said the men, who wanted to remain anonymous, had set an ultimatum the store had to make a profit within 90 days.

Boggabri Meats and the nearby Battler’s Cafe were both set to close last week due to lack of customers, despite thriving activity at the nearby mines.

Battler’s Cafe, run by Leah and Matthew Faulkner, has given up the battle.

But the butcher’s was doing brisk business yesterday as news filtered around town it was still open.

“These guys are guardian angels,” Mr Higgins said of the butcher’s new owners.

Feb. 2, 2016, 8:30 p.m. Northern Daily Leader

ANTI-coal seam gas groups have hit back at claims the majority of people in the Narrabri Shire support Santos’ operations.

The Narrabri Chamber of Commerce told The Leader on Monday the “vast majority” of the shire was pro-Santos.

However, Lock The Gate and People For The Plains said their research showed the opposite.

People For The Plains spokeswoman Sarah Ciesiolka said they had conducted door-to-door community surveys.

Of those asked, 96 per cent of people were opposed to coal seam gas (CSG).

“The surveys have conclusively demonstrated Santos has no social licence to operate here,” Ms Ciesiolka said.

“Despite what Santos, Yes2Gas and the Narrabri Chamber of Commerce would like people to believe, there is wide-scale community rejection of the CSG industry in North West NSW, and Santos’ Narrabri Gas Project in particular.”

Joshua J. Smith set out in a small plane to capture the remarkable colours and textures of the land of the Anangu people in the central Australian desert.

If you're a passionate landscape photographer, it's a good idea to make friends with a pilot. That's just what Australian photographer Joshua J. Smith did in order to produce his latest series, Ngura. His first major solo exhibition, on now at Black Eye gallery in Sydney, features aerial landscape photographs of Anangu land in Australia's central desert.

"With my good mate and pilot, Joe, I set out from north-west NSW and flew inland with the idea of capturing Australia's unique landscape ... what we encountered was the spiritual and emotional legacy of an ancient natural terrain," Smith said.

These lands, which have been home and identity to the Anangu people for more than 40,000 years, are known as ''Ngura'' in Pitjantjatjara language, thus the title of the exhibition. The striking images show rugged landforms in earth tones – deep ochre, indigo, teal – as well as the brilliant oranges of desert sands.

From Narrabri Shire Council

Congratulations to all the Citizen of the Year nominations. The winners were announced on Australia Day with the following receiving awards.

Young Citizen of the Year - Secondary - Gemma Ferguson

Gemma was nominated for her community contributions through groups and committees such as the Narrabri Youth Shack, involvement in events and various fund-raising activities. Gemma has significant academic achievements and was School Captain 2015.

Community Event of the Year - Narrabri High School Cambodia Group

The group was nominated for successfully raising close to $16,000 for the Tabitha Foundation Australia's House Building program in Cambodia which was able to build eight houses and donate funds to a school and orphanage in Cambodia.

Citizen of the Year - Shirley Pankhurst

Shirley was nominated for her involvement in various groups, she was named Life Member of the Newcastle Women’s Hockey Association, Life Member of the Wee Waa Garden Club and a Life Member of the Wee Waa & District Historical Society. Shirley is also a volunteer for HACC (Home and Community Care).

Simon Evans SMH

Ouch. Chinese private equity fund Hony Capital is down $425 million on its investment in ailing Santos.

The oil price has plunged a further 40 per cent since Hony came to the rescue in early November 2015, as part of the temporary fix to the Santos balance sheet, which also included a rights issue, a cut in dividends, and big cost reductions.

Hony, through its quaintly named investment vehicles United Faith Ventures and Robust Nation, holds 9.81 per cent of Santos.

It will soon find itself free of restrictions three months from November 9, 2015 prevented it moving 9.9 per cent under the original agreement to become a cornerstone shareholder.

By RUTH CASKEY The Land Newspaper

A BUTTERFLY pea biopesticide developed by Wee Waa-based business Innovate Ag will be released for commercial use in September following the recent approval of its active constituent.

Sero-X has passed the biggest hurdle in its approval stage, with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority approving butterfly pea extract in December.

​Innovate Ag project director Nick Watts said the approval of the active constituent took time as APVMA hadn’t assessed a similar product in the past.

“An active constituent is normally a single compound chemical, so we had to create a new standard for a new active constituent, which is Clitoria ternatea (butterfly pea) extract, and develop the whole data package required to register it.”